Paige Bueckers Announces She’s Cleared to Play Ahead of 2023-24 Season

UConn’s star guard is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023-24 season.

UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers provided fans with a significant update on her recovery from ACL surgery on Wednesday.

With the 2023-24 college basketball season inching closer, Bueckers announced via Instagram that she’s been fully cleared by doctors to play.

Bueckers underwent surgery on a torn ACL in her left knee on Aug. 5, 2022, just more than one year prior to Wednesday’s announcement.

Bueckers is entering her senior year, having missed most of the previous two seasons due to injury. Her sophomore campaign was cut short due to a tibial plateau fracture and a meniscus injury, while she missed her entire junior season following the surgery to repair her ACL.

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The 21-year-old shared a photo of herself in Huskies gear on Instagram, captioning the post, “All cleared and ready for takeoff. 369 days... GOD DID!” 

Back in June, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma indicated Bueckers was “90 percent” recovered from the surgery and that he expected her to be ready by the time the 2023-24 season tips off in November.

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Bueckers last played in a game on April 3, 2022 during the Huskies’ national championship defeat against South Carolina.

Across 46 games in her college career, Bueckers has averaged 18.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting at a remarkable 43.4% clip from three-point range.